"Health - WISE" (Health= Winning Investigations with Students and Elders) partners retired and graduate student biomedical experts with elementary students to forward health lessons that promote problem solving, higher order thinking and the scientific method. This project furthers the cause of health education for students, teachers and their families, facilitates linkages between biomedical science and local school programs, and provides important science career connections for students. Students and teachers from thirty elementary schools in the north central area of California are matched with retired science/health professionals and graduate students who enhance health science content and health education instruction at each school through the use of state adopted curriculum and the "Immunization Plus" and "Using Live Insects in Elementary Classroom for Early Lessons in Life" curricula. The activities of the proposal include: 1) an intensive summer institute and year long follow up meetings for two teachers per year per participating school that models the goal of "Healthy People 2,000" and promotes instruction that builds on the scientific method; 2) recruitment, training materials and support for a retired or graduate student health scientist who will assist students and teachers at one school for an entire year; and 3) development of materials and support for family events to promote family health education at school sites led by participating teachers and retired or graduate student partners. Secondary benefits of the project include career exposure for students to the field of health, connections between health and science education reform efforts, and classroom instructional strategies and content knowledge improvement for teachers.